The May decline in consumer confidence was not due to the dismal state of the economy during the 1st quarter, which had the weakest pace of GDP growth in three years. Consumers thought the harsh winter weather was mainly responsible. A much greater impact on consumer sentiment would result if the economy did not post a strong rebound in the ...

The Chicago Business Barometer increased to 65.5 in May from 63.0 in April, the highest since October, as demand strengthened and the economy continued to recover from a weather related slowdown in Q1.

The increase in the Barometer chimes with other economic data which has shown a continued recovery in the economy. Some members of the Federal Reserve’s rate setting panel, the FOMC, have cast doubt on whether the economy is on a path of sustained above trend growth, but ...

Pending home sales improved for the second straight month in April, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Gains in the Midwest and Northeast offset declines in the West and South.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 0.4 percent to 97.8 in April from 97.4 in March, but is 9.2 percent below April 2013 when it was 107.7. ...

For the week ending May 17 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased by 0.3 percent to 97.8. Most of the decrease in this week’s barometer is owing to consumption indexes, in which chain store sales and MBA’s purchase index fell by -1.3 and -2.8 percent, respectively. As to the production side, auto production dropped sharply by ...

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- decreased at an annual rate of 1.0 percent in the first quarter according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased ...

In the week ending May 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 300,000, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 326,000 to 327,000. The 4-week moving average was 311,500, a decrease of 11,250 from the previous week's revised average. This is ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Retail Chain Store Sales Index fell 1.2% in the week ended Saturday from the previous week on a seasonally adjusted, comparable-store basis.

"The latest week's decline was, in part, due to the increased number of Americans traveling this past holiday weekend," according to Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist. He cited AAA estimates that 36.1 million people in the U.S. would ...

Texas factory activity increased again in May, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, fell from 24.7 to 11, indicating output grew but not strongly as ...

Fifth District manufacturing activity increased at a steady pace of growth, according to the most recent survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Shipments rose, although new orders softened. Manufacturing employment firmed, and average wages increased sharply. The average workweek increased at about last ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had decreased in April, improved moderately in May. The Index now stands at 83.0 (1985=100), up from 81.7 in April. The Present Situation Index increased to 80.4 from 78.5, while the Expectations Index edged up to 84.8 from 83.9 ...

Data through March 2014, released today by S&P Dow Jones Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show the 10-City and 20-City Composite Indices gained 0.8% and 0.9% month-over-month. In the first quarter of 2014, the National Index gained 0.2%. Nineteen of the 20 cities showed positive ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April increased $1.9 billion or 0.8 percent to $239.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up three consecutive months, followed a 3.6 percent March increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.1 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.8 ...

Sales of new single-family houses in April 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 433,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 6.4 percent (±15.9%) above the revised March rate of 407,000, but is 4.2 percent (±14.2%) below the April ...

The month-over-month composite index was 10 in May, up from 7 in April and equal to 10 in March (Tables 1 & 2, Chart). The composite index is an average of the production, new orders, employment, supplier delivery time, and raw materials inventory indexes. Manufacturing ...

Existing-home sales increased for the first time this year in April, while inventory meaningfully increased and home price growth moderated, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Monthly sales gains in the West and South offset a modest decline in the Midwest while the Northeast ...

For the week ending May 10 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased slightly by 0.1 percent for the second consecutive week. Among both consumption and production indexes an increase was seen in only steel production and all other indexes showed declines. The biggest decline was auto production, which dropped by 6.0 percent. ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.4 percent in April to 101.4 (2004 = 100), following a 1.0 percent increase in March, and a 0.5 percent increase in February.

The LEI rose for the third consecutive month, driven largely by improving housing and financial market conditions. This latest report suggests the economy will continue to expand, and may even pick up steam through the second half of the year. ...

In the week ending May 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 326,000, an increase of 28,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 297,000 to 298,000. The 4-week moving average was 322,500, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The ...

Led by declines in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to –0.32 in April from +0.34 in March. Two of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index made negative contributions to the index in April, and two of the four categories decreased from ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 2.4 percent year on year for the week that ended on May 17, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. However, comparable-store sales fell 1.3 percent compared with the previous week.

“This past week’s slippage was mainly due to Mother Nature as a very slow moving storm left heavy snow in the Rockies and flooding in the East,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC's vice president of research and chief economist. “Weather Trends International (WTI) reported that ...

The outlook for growth over the next three quarters looks stronger now than it did three months ago, according to 42 forecasters surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Growth this quarter will be 3.3 percent at an annual rate, up from the previous estimate of 3.0 percent. Third-quarter growth will be 2.9 percent, an upward ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,080,000. This is 8.0 percent (±0.7%) above the revised March rate of 1,000,000 and is 3.8 percent (±0.9%) above the April 2013 estimate of 1,040,000. Single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of ...

Manufacturing firms responding to the May Business Outlook Survey indicated that regional manufacturing activity expanded this month. The survey’s indicators for general activity, new orders, and shipments were positive for the third consecutive month, although they fell slightly from higher readings last month. Employment continued to ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes in May fell one point to 45 from a downwardly revised April reading of 46 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today.

After four months in which the HMI has shown little signs of fluctuation, it is clear that builder sentiment is becoming more in line with the market reality of a continuing but modest recovery. However, builders expressed some optimism that sales will pick up in the coming ...

For the week ending May 3 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased slightly by 0.1 percent following a 0.1 percent increase in the prior week. Consumption index dragged down this week’s barometer; chain store sales dropped by 2.0 percent, more than offsetting positive contributions of MBA’s purchase index and railroad ...

Industrial production decreased 0.6 percent in April 2014 after having risen about 1 percent in both February and March. In April, manufacturing output fell 0.4 percent. The index had increased substantially in February and March following a decrease in January; severe weather had restrained production early in the quarter. The output of ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for March 2014. The sum total in March of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC outflow of $126.1 billion. Of this, net foreign private outflows were $115.5 billion, ...

In the week ending May 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 297,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since May 12, 2007 when they were 297,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 319,000 to 321,000. The 4-week moving ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.0 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The indexes for gasoline, shelter, and food all rose in April and contributed to the seasonally adjusted all items increase. The gasoline index rose 2.3 percent; this led to the first increase in the energy index since January, despite declines in the electricity and fuel ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased 0.3 percent from March to April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This decrease stems from unchanged average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

The May 2014 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that business conditions improved significantly for New York manufacturers. The headline general business conditions index jumped eighteen points to 19.0, its highest level in nearly four years. The new orders and shipments indexes also posted sharp gains, rising to 10.4 and ...

The Producer Price Index for final demand advanced 0.6 percent in April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This increase followed a rise of 0.5 percent in March and a decline of 0.1 percent in February. On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand moved up 2.1 percent for the 12 months ended in ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for March, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,325.7 billion, up 1.0 percent (±0.2%) from February 2014 and were up 4.3 percent (±0.5%) from ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $434.6 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent (±0.5) from the previous month, and 4.0 percent (±0.7) above April 2013. Total sales ...

U.S. import prices fell 0.4 percent in April following a 0.4-percent advance the previous month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Declining fuel prices drove the April decrease. U.S. export prices decreased 1.0 percent in April, after rising 1.0 percent ...

Spending was relatively flat on a week-over-week basis, but surged year-over-year. Sequentially, retailers experienced a slight dip of 0.1% in sales for the week ending May 10, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index. On a year-over-year basis sales rose by its ...

The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism jumped 1.8 points from last month to 95.2. This is the first time the Index has reached 95 since October 2007. The gain is modest but it is still the best reading post-recession. The main contributor to the improved Index came from expected business conditions. Small business owners are a bit ...

There were 4.0 million job openings on the last business day of March, little changed from 4.1 million in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.4 percent) and separations rate (3.2 percent) were unchanged in March. Within separations, the quits rate (1.8 percent) was unchanged and the layoffs ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that March 2014 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $443.4 billion, up 1.4 percent (+/-0.5) from the revised February level and were up 6.5 percent (+/-1.6%) ...

For the week ending April 26 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer edged up by 0.1 percent following two consecutive weeks’ declines. Consumption index, driven by an increase of chain store sales rising by 1.6 percent, pushed up the barometer this week. MBA’s purchase index in consumption declined, yet it was more than offset by the ...

In the week ending May 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 319,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 344,000 to 345,000. The 4-week moving average was 324,750, an increase of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average. The ...

Consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5-3/4 percent in the first quarter. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 1/2 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased 8 percent. In March, consumer credit increased at an annual rate of ...

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased at a 1.7 percent annual rate during the first quarter of 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The decrease in productivity reflects increases of 0.3 percent in output and 2.0 percent in hours worked. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally ...

The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $40.4 billion in March from $41.9 billion in February (revised), as exports increased more than imports.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that total March exports of $193.9 billion and imports of $234.3 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $40.4 billion, down from $41.9 billion ...

Despite the April calendar lift to sales that retailers enjoyed with the later Easter, severe weather hampered the final fiscal week's results. As a result weekly retail sales slipped by 2.0% for the week ending May 3, 2014, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index. On ...